How to Get CPC Certified: Training, the Exam, and the CPC-A Route

What does CPC certification prove, and how do you earn it?

You earn the Certified Professional Coder credential by passing AAPC's CPC exam: 100 multiple-choice questions in one four-hour sitting, with 70% or higher needed to pass. AAPC's registration prerequisites list current membership and a valid, unused exam voucher, and its Exam Agreement says a successful candidate who has not submitted proof of two years of experience before testing receives the apprentice designation, CPC-A.

AAPC describes the CPC as a credential for coding outpatient and physician services with CPT, ICD-10-CM and HCPCS, together with payer and compliance knowledge. If you are still choosing a credential, compare CPC vs CCS first.

Training is a separate question. AAPC recommends preparatory training, but a course does not appear among its listed registration prerequisites, and its how-to page says the experienced coders it describes may register directly. Keeping the credential is separate again: it takes annual AAPC membership and 36 CEUs every two years.

Unless a line says otherwise, the AAPC facts here were checked November 3, 2026.

Which route fits your starting point?

Both routes use the same account steps and the same exam. They differ in how much preparation you need and in the experience proof that decides whether the A appears. The sequence below is Passy's editorial order, built from AAPC's separate rules. It is not a path AAPC prescribes.

To place yourself, try the 20 free CPC practice questions and note why you hesitate. This is an editorial check on a small sample, not an AAPC assessment. If unfamiliar terms stop you, begin at step 1. If you follow the question but cannot choose the code, put your time into step 2.

Do you need a course, and how long does AAPC's take?

Whether you need a course is a readiness decision rather than a paperwork one. AAPC names anatomy, medical terminology and pathophysiology as foundations for training, and says relevant knowledge from education or employment can exempt new students from its prerequisite courses in those subjects.

AAPC's CPC preparation course page showed these details on November 6, 2026:

Read these as one provider's course figures, not as the time it takes to get certified. The other published time points describe separate stages: register three weeks before the exam, expect results in 7–10 business days, and allow 2–4 weeks for most apprentice-removal applications. No official source we checked turns these into one time to certification, so we do not either.

Two questions are worth asking before you enroll anywhere. Is a stated prerequisite a condition for the course or for the exam? Does the price include an exam attempt? With AAPC's course, also ask which option the 6-month access applies to and what an extension costs, because the self-paced range runs past six months.

If you prepare on your own, note that AAPC's product page, checked November 6, 2026, calls its CPC study guide a review of professional fee coding concepts, not an introduction to coding. We would not treat it as a first course. The free CPC study plan is a starting point for organizing your review on either route.

For review arranged by topic, full CPC prep planned for launch is organized into 18 sections, from medical terminology through the cases.

What must be in place before the exam?

Two items come first: current AAPC membership and a valid, unused electronic exam voucher. AAPC's prerequisites also cover your contact details, a government photo ID that matches your confirmation, and its exam tutorial. The CPC exam requirements guide takes these one at a time, so use it as your checklist.

If you need testing accommodations, settle that first. AAPC's accommodations FAQ says they must be approved before you purchase or schedule an exam, so get that approval before you buy a voucher. The CPC exam accommodations guide covers the request.

Three actions need the right order:

1. Buy the voucher when your target date is realistic. AAPC's Exam Agreement says exam fees must be used within one year of purchase and are nonrefundable and nontransferable.
2. Redeem it, then book. AAPC says redeeming a voucher does not automatically schedule an appointment. You continue to Meazure Learning with your Notice to Schedule credentials, then choose the format, date, time and location, subject to capacity. AAPC's CPC page says to register three weeks before the exam. The 2027 CPC registration timeline covers the booking steps and dates.
3. Settle your experience proof before test day. The Exam Agreement ties the designation to proof submitted before testing. If you already have two years of coding experience, ask AAPC how to submit it rather than assuming your work history is on file.

For practice between booking and test day, full CPC prep planned for launch includes 1,100 questions and 540 flashcards.

What happens after you pass?

AAPC says to expect results within 7–10 business days, in MyAAPC under Exams with an email notification, and never by phone. Its exam FAQ, checked November 6, 2026, adds that January can take longer because of reviews of new content, and June, November and December because of exam volume. The CPC score and results guide explains what the report means. If you do not pass, AAPC lists areas with subscores at or below 65%, and the CPC retake guide covers your options.

Treat the credential as earned only once AAPC confirms it. If you passed without experience proof submitted before testing, you receive CPC-A, which marks an apprentice designation and not a failed exam. AAPC lists three removal routes, built from coding employment, Practicode and an eligible 80-contact-hour course, and one of them needs no employment.

Experience from before or after certification can count, including qualifying externships. AAPC says most applications are processed within 2–4 weeks, which is an expectation and not a guarantee. The CPC-A removal guide lists the evidence for each route.

Maintenance follows your account's dates. One credential needs 36 CEUs every two years, and membership dues are annual even when CEUs are not due. A newly certified member may have a prorated first period, and CEUs earned before certification are not accepted. Use the CPC renewal and CEU guide as soon as your result posts.

Which costs and dates should you confirm yourself?

These are listed prices on the dates shown, not a budget. Code books, taxes and later dues vary, and the lines overlap, so we give no all-in total. No full 2027 price list was verified.

The three course prices appeared during a promotion that AAPC's page says expires November 30, without naming a year, so treat them as a snapshot. The 2027 CPC cost guide turns the exam, membership and book lines into a worksheet.

Four dates also shape the route, especially if it runs into 2027:

• Voucher window: one year from purchase, so compare it with the end of your training.
• Membership end date: current membership is a prerequisite, so compare your renewal date with your appointment.
• Code year: AAPC updates U.S. exams each January 1 for that year's codes and guidelines, so an exam taken in 2027 reflects the 2027 code sets. Read the code-book and exam-year rules before you buy books.
• Annual blackout: testing stops December 30 and resumes on the second Monday of the new year. That rule points to January 11, 2027, which is our calendar calculation and not an announced seat release.

Recheck each of these rules on AAPC's pages before a 2027 appointment.

What is your next step toward the CPC?

Pick the line that matches where you are today:

• New to coding: work through step 1 of the route table and choose your training before you buy a voucher. If you need accommodations, get AAPC's approval before that purchase. Keep the one-year voucher window in mind.
• Experienced coder: compare your work with the exam sections, ask AAPC how to submit your two years of experience, then move to the 2027 CPC registration timeline.
• Already holding CPC-A: skip the exam steps and gather evidence for one of the three removal routes.

As your exam date gets closer, full CPC prep planned for launch includes a 100-question mock exam. Whichever line applies, open the next guide in the route table and finish that one step first.